


Saint Honesty

by beforeyouspeak



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Discord: Bellamione Cult, F/F, I split from canon quickly and never look back, Pre-Relationship, Why can’t I find the July tag?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-31
Updated: 2020-07-31
Packaged: 2021-03-05 20:27:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,811
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25621336
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/beforeyouspeak/pseuds/beforeyouspeak
Summary: Hermione, Harry and Ron get captured by the snatchers. When Hermione is interrogated by Bellatrix, she discovers a world that is nothing like she imagined.
Relationships: Hermione Granger/Bellatrix Black Lestrange
Comments: 11
Kudos: 228





	Saint Honesty

**Author's Note:**

> This little story was inspired by The Old Gaurd. It’s not generally my type of movie, but the premise was entirely fascinating. I have play with it in the Harry Potter universe here. There is so much more than could be done with this premise. (Whether or not I ever do is really the question.)

Getting caught by the snatchers was monumentally stupid. They had been as careful as humanly possible, but the wards had failed. Or perhaps Voldemort had managed to track them somehow. Hitting Harry with the stinging jinx was the only thing that Hermione was able to come up with. It wasn't the most brilliant solution, but she hoped it would be enough to distract whomever they were being taken to. When they finally arrived at the looming grey house, Hermione was disappointed to recognise Narcissa Malfoy in the doorway. She had hoped that they would be taken to a location with less important lackeys. While she didn’t know the blonde matriarch, she assumed that, based on Lucius’ various positions in the ministry, Narcissa too was powerful. 

As she stumbled up the front steps, half drug by the snatcher she felt the cool appraisal of the eyes on her. Hermione kept her head down and prayed to whatever deities that existed that maybe... just maybe they would not be recognized on sight. She didn’t look up at what must have been a very pretty home, if at bit austere based on the external architecture. 

“We found what you was looking for,” the head snatcher said gruffly. 

“Have you?”

Narcissa’s question hung unassumingly in the air. Indifference coloured her tone, which made Hermione sneak a look at her. She attempted to stifle the gasp when she looked at her face. Hermione had never been so close to Narcissa Malfoy before. While weary, she was beautiful in an erethral way that Hermione could not name. 

“Bring them into the sitting room, would you? I will call my sister.”

Hermione wanted to curse under her breath. The presence of Bellatrix Lestrage was not a sign that this encounter would be going their way. But Hermione stayed as quiet and passive as possible. If she reacted, she knew that she would not be able to think. It was bad enough that images of Belaltrix fighting at the Department of Mysteries was already flying through her mind. It was hard to feel confident while knowing how epically out matched magically she was. 

“Well well well, what have we here?”

The oddly childish tone was in stark contrast to the click of the high heeled boots. 

Hermione sucked in a breath. She forgot what it had felt like to be in the same room as the dark witch. At the time, she had tried to convince herself that perhaps it was the rush of battle that had her shaken to her core. Unfortunately it seemed that it might be the presence of the witch herself. 

“I found the three brats you was lookin for,” the snachter said proudly. 

“How can you be certain,” Narcissa asked. 

“They were just where you said, Lady Malfoy. And there are three. I know his face is a bit messed up, but the red head and the girl are just as described.” 

Hermione heard Nacrissa’s footfalls over to Harry and attempted not to tense her body. 

“And what did happen to his face,” she asked her voice more accusing than it had been a moment ago. 

“I don’t rightly know, Madame,” the snatcher said nervously. “He looked that way when we grabbed him. Me and my boys didn’t damage them as requested.” 

“Then which of you cast this... stinging jinx, I am guessing by the look of it?” 

Hermione knew that the question was directed towards her, but she was frozen in the accusation and fear. 

“I don’t imagine it was the Weasley, Cissa. They are not nearly clever enough in general. Which leaves us with the girl. She is supposed to be the brains of the lot, isn’t she?”

“So I have heard,” Narcissa answered through gritted teeth. 

“Very good,” Bellatrix said sounding more excited than made Hermione comfortable. “Take the two young men to the dungeon. The swot and I are going to have a little chat, girl to girl.”

Hermione did start panicking at those words. She did not want to be left alone with Bellatrix, though she could not properly express why. She attempted to pull out of the hands holding her still. 

“None of that girl,” Narcissa Malfoy said placing a hand on her shoulder. 

Hermione quaked at the feeling of power and control that rushed through her at the place where she was being touched. She didn’t know what kind of magic she was expiriencing, only that she could not possibly fight back and that it was unlike anything she had ever seen before. She stood still and stopped fighting, grateful when the feeling retreated. 

“I think I would rather like to have this conversation in a private setting, don’t you agree Cissa?”

Hermione certainly wanted to object to that. There was something about being behind closed doors with either of these two witches that terrified her to her bones. 

“Yes, would my study suffice,” the blonde asked. 

Hermione didn’t hear the answer, but shuddered when she was touched on both sides by the sisters. The energy coursing through her was almost more than she could take. She was worried that if either of them attempted to torture her that her heart would literally give out. She heard the door click shut behind them. Her traterous body trembled in fear and anticipation of whatever would come next. 

“What did you do to his face?”

Hermione kept her mouth shut. It seemed a safe enough option when the two witches were across the room. 

“Don’t make her repeat herself, girl,” Narcissa added as though perhaps Hermione had simply forgotten to answer the question. 

“It was a stinging jinx,” Hermione said while finally raising her eyes and looking at Bellatrix up close. “Oh fuck, what are you?”

Hermione couldn’t say what overcame her in that moment. The question practically crawled out of her mouth. Part of her wanted to cower, but she kept still and watched as the women in front of her processed what she had just said. Several emotions crossed the dark witch’s face, but too quickly for Hermione to decisively identify. 

“Why do you ask,” Bellatrix finally asked slowly. 

Hermione’s brow crinkled and she tried to think of the reasons that she was driven to ask the question. She tilted her head and looked at the pair of them carefully. There was something about the question that felt like permission to study them closely. Letting out a breath she gathered her courage to answer. 

“There is something about both of you. I think you are too beautiful to simply be mortal witches. And now that I am alone with you both and its quiet, I can almost taste your magic. It’s so different. It’s… more. I don’t know that I can explain it more clearly than that. What  _ are _ you?”

Hermione hoped that she didn’t seem impertinent. She was mesmerised by the pair of them. Whatever fear she had started the interaction with had faded to awe, which she wasn’t sure what to do with. She should be trembling with fear. She knew the stories about both of them, but when the dark eyes settled on her they imbued her with an unexpected calm. 

“She can see us,” Narcissa whispered under her breath. 

To Hermione’s ears the statement sounded impressed to say the least. 

“So it seems. It may be that she is more of a swot than anyone else suspected. Have you heard of  _ the ancients,  _ pet?” 

Hermione shook her head no. She had read as many magical books as she could get her hands on, but that name didn’t ring any bells. She watched the silent conversation between the blonde and the brunette. She wasn’t sure if they were magically communicating or if they could do so with simple looks. 

“I am sorry if it was overly familiar to ask,” Hermione said looking down again. “I was just overcome. If you are  _ ancients _ if that is the right term, I would like to know the story… of your lives. I know this isn’t the right time.” 

“Bella,” Narcissa said aloud. “She is adorable when she rambles. I have not seen a young one in many years who was quite so appealing.” 

Hermione scrunched her nose at being called a young one, even though she couldn’t deny it in mortal terms. Her 18 years were little in comparison to what the world believed to be their ages, never mind in comparison to whatever age and  _ ancient _ might mean.

Bellatrix hummed at her sisters statement. Hermione wasn’t sure if it was an agreement or simply recognition that she had heard the other woman speak. 

“What is your name,” the dark witch asked roughly. “It seems odd to simply call you Potter’s mudblood now. If you can see us, you are no mudblood.” 

“Hermione,” the young witch whispered unsure of what else to say. 

“If I answer your question, you will not be able to leave us.” 

Hermione looked at them again, really trying to see them though she had the sense that magic was obscuring her sight.

“And if you don’t answer, what will be the outcome for that,” Hermione whispered far more afraid of the answer. 

“Then we all have our parts to play in this drama,” the dark witch said vaguely. 

There was something in her tone and manner that suggested to Hermione that she would not survive option two. 

“What do you mean that I won’t be able to leave you?”

“My,if she doesn’t have questions,” Narcissa hissed. “We do not have unlimited time, sister. If you are deviating from the plan, you had best move quickly.”

“I mean,” Bellatrix shot an annoyed look over her shoulder at her sister, “that you will be bound to us. You will not go back to your friends today or ever. Your life will change. For whatever it is worth, they will never win. I suspect as perceptive as you are that you can already feel the loss closing in around you. Can’t you?”

Hermione nodded. She couldn’t decide why she felt like she needed to be honest with the two in front of her, but it was an impulse she didn’t want to resist. 

“Then you must decide,” the blonde chimed back in. “You must speak the words that you will commit to staying with us. It will not be the only binding magic, but it will be the beginning of a magical contract.” 

Hermione watched them carefully. She was being given the choice between life and certain death. She had to decide if she wanted to save herself and sate her curiosity or lie like her friends. So much had changed in their year on the run. It felt as though it had turned on in her some primal instinct that demanded her survival first. 

“I, Hermione Granger, in free will agree to stay with you until you deem I should go,” Hermione said carefully. 

She watched the ravenous joy light up the dark witch’s face and the blonde smirk. 

“Carefully chosen words, girl,” Narcissa responded. “But it will do sufficiently until it can be done properly.”

Hermione wanted to ask what she meant by that, but there was no pause in the conversation for her to get a word in edgewise. 

“If you want to know what we are, you will have to listen to our entire story. And it is not a brief tale. So you will need to tell us what we need to know to end the conflict enough today that such a conversation can take place,” the blond elaborated.

“Speak, vassal. You have declared yourself to me. I do not put up with disobedience,” Bellatrix said sharply. “Is the boy in the dungeon Harry Potter?”

“Yes,” Hermione said quietly. “But I don’t think it is as simple as killing him. I think he is a horcrux.” 

Bellatrix and Narcissa gasped at her statement. 

“How do you know about horcruxes, pet,” Bellatrix said, finding her voice first. 

“We know that V…”

“Do  _ not _ speak his name,” Narcissa hissed. 

Hermione took in a sharp breath at the redirection. 

“We know that he has them. I think Harry is one, but I haven’t told anyone. I don’t even know if Harry had realized it yet. He may have,” she finished in one breath. 

“I see,” Bellatrix said contemplatively. 

“Will that and the boy be enough,” Narcissa asked hurriedly.

“I believe so. He has been  _ unhappy _ of late, but I think this might cure it. I will call him.” 

Hermione wanted to object, but the look on the blonde’s face was enough to still her tongue in her mouth. She watched as the dark witch brandished her wand with a flourish. As the wand touched the mark on her arm, Hermione felt magic swirl around her and fought to stay on her feet. The touch of the blonde’s arm on her elbow steadied her somewhat. She wanted to lean into the comfort of it, but fought the urge. She wanted to ask questions, but was cut off by a firm pull backwards by Narcissa. In the place where she had just been standing, a swirl of black robes materialised. Hermione shuddered at his presence. She could feel his magic too. She could now tell by comparison how very different the sisters’ magic was. The Dark Lord’s magic was violent and oppressive. Without Narcissa’s continued touch, Hermione was unsure how she would have coped with it. 

“What news, Bellatrix?”

The voice was  _ not _ human, though Hermione could not name what it was. She kept her eyes down, not wanting to draw attention to herself. 

“We have captured Potter and his friends. He and the redhead are in the dungeons. The girl is here.”

“She gave them up?”

“Yes, my Lord. She understands that the fight is fruitless. She chose another path. She has presented herself as vassal to me and I have accepted.”

“Highly unusual for a mudblood, but if the rumours are true then she is above average in intelligence,” the man hissed. 

Hermione shuddered at the sound of his voice. She was surprised at his easy acceptance of what Bellatrix told him. He wasn’t irrational. He didn’t question her deeply. He simply accepted what she told him without much discussion. 

“Take me to the boy,” Voldemort said impatiently. 

“There is more my Lord. The girl believes that he is a horcrux.”

The pale face of the  _ not quite _ man turned towards Hermione. She could feel his gaze without lifting her eyes from the ground. She could feel his magic pressing against her trying to access her mind. It was held at bay, but by what forces she couldn’t be sure.

“Dumbledore told us before his death,” she choked out. “We knew about the objects. I am guessing Harry is too. His connection to you, how he can feel the objects. It just makes sense.”

She was shaking, but forced the words out. 

“That is highly interesting,” Voldemort said finally. “Take me to him.”

“This way, my lord,” Bellatrix said leading him out of the room. 

Hermione felt like collapsing at their exit, but didn’t have any desire to be seen as weak in front of the blonde. 

“You need food and a bath,” Narcissa said. Her tone was cool, but somehow Hermione felt a simmering kindness in it. “Bellatrix will likely be busy for a few hours before she can rejoin us. It will likely be a long night. Come along as we will take care of your more basic needs while she works with our Lord.”

Hermione couldn’t deny how good food and a bath sounded. She felt guilty for being lured so easily away from what had been her mission for long months, but the sisters were so appealing. They were obviously so much more than whatever magic that she and her friends were chasing. If she was going to die young, she wanted to know as much of the magical world before meeting her end. 

“Don’t worry so much, young one. Your choice will be well worth it. I would begin the tale if my sister would not attempt to murder me for doing so. Let me make you comfortable in the meantime.”

Hermione looked at the blonde sceptically. The offer was almost too good to be true. 

“This is not the time to start questioning me,” Narcissa said eyebrow arched. “I  _ asked nicely _ because civilised society says I should. If you were to challenge me, you would do as I say either way. So lets try this again, let me make you comfortable.” 

Hermione nodded before the last sentence was even completed. While she didn’t feel the press of the blonde's magic, she wasn’t sure she was ready to. She was exhausted on so many levels and whatever these two sisters were, they were more than what Hermione had faced before. 

Narcissa led her out a different door they had come in through. The darker, narrower passages were no doubt meant as servant corridors that would lead to the private parts of the manor. They exited a small door into a major corridor upstairs. It was far more brightly lit than Hermione had been expecting. There was something about the Deatheaters being  _ evil _ that had caused her to conjure up images of them living in perpetual darkened. This manor, on the other hand, was beautiful once she started looking at it. The fear had largely receded from her consciousness, so she was able to really see what was in front of her. The blonde led her into a gorgeously appointed bathroom. 

“This is a guest bathroom on my wing of the house. You can expect privacy from all but me and my servants in this space.”

The blonde waved her wand and the bath came to life filling quickly with sweet smelling soap. 

“I’m afraid we don’t have unlimited time,” Narcissa said sounding genuine. “If you could please get clean. Leave your clothes on the floor. I will have a house elf bring you clothes you can wear until we can procure you some of your own. I can magically alter lengths and sizes as needed for now. Thirty minutes, no more.” 

The blonde’s tone shifted seriously. 

“We will need to complete the binding of you as a vassal before the night is out. There will be plenty of evening of leisure in your future. Do you understand?”

“Yes,” Hermione whispered feeling somewhat unsure of herself. But she was certain that she could get sufficiently clean in the time given to her. She had done the best she could when they were on the run, but creature comforts had not been high on her list of priorities. 

Narcissa closed the door quietly after exiting, but Hermione could still feel her magic in the room. She attempted to ignore the warm sensations from it while she quickly took off her clothes. She placed her wand on the counter before climbing in. The water felt as amazing as the thought it might. Now that she was in the bath, she wished she had the time to relax and escape from the insane day she was in the middle of. Mindful of the warnings, she washed throroughly. Her second time rinsing her hair, she was frightened by a pop. She opened her eyes to see that a small pile of clothes had been left for her. She finished cleaning as quickly a she could. She toweled off and pulled on the clothing. It was too long for her, but with a quick transfiguration it would work sufficiently. She attempted to tame her hair, but ended up pulling it up and away from her face as it would not cooperate without product. She turned the door nob and stepped out. 

Immediately the blonde was at her side. 

“I am pleasantly surprised that you can follow directions, Hermione,” Narcissa said. “We will dine in my private rooms. Until the ceremony is done, I am afraid that I cannot risk having you with the rest of our guests. Bellatrix will be with us shortly, I believe.” 

Though Hermione found Narcissa very attractive, there was something about the dark witch that made her heart beat faster just at the mention of her. 

At the end of the hall on the left, Narcissa led Hermione into her suite of room. The walls and draperies were light blues, greens and sliver which made Narcissa glow in the fading afternoon light. Hermione wondered if the decor was chosen specifically for this reason. The witch did look beautiful. 

“I was unsure about your food preferences, so I had the elves bring a bit of everything. And Bellatrix tends to be a grazer. The more options that are out, the more likely I am to be able to get her to eat at all,” the blond said while pointing her to a seat. 

“It all looks amazing,” Hermione said sitting. 

She hadn’t always been so interested in food. But after having experienced what food scarcity was like, Hermione was more than grateful for what was being offered. She was contemplating where to start when they door banged open and Bellatrix strode in, slamming the door behind her. 

“Bellatrix,” Narcissa said, sounding annoyed. 

“I’m bloody fucking amazing,” the dark witch said sweeping the blonde into her arms and kissing her soundly. 

Hermione watched Narcissa nearly swoon at the kiss and a jolt of jealousy pulsed through her. She wasn’t even sure which witch in the equation she wanted. 

“Do try not to drool, young one,” Narcissa said with a smirk. 

Bellatrix cackled at the look on Hermione’s face. 

“Do you suppose  _ sister _ that we ought to share our history with her?”

Narcissa for the first time looked truly amused. 

“Yes, I think we should. Then I need for you to finish the vassal contract with her. I do not wish to be constantly looking over our shoulders. We both know we are far too out of practice for that nonsense.”

The blonde picked up a plate and filled it with food and handed it to Hermione. She took it happily and started working her way through it. She didn’t want to tempt the blond to start feeding her, which she was certain was the next step. 

“We are very old,” Bellatrix said half chewing food. “Older than any of the others. I was born when the Romans still ruled the earth. I was a witch born to a high family. I grew up near the Palatine in Rome. I fought for my family in the only ways a woman was allowed in those days until the Emperor sent us into exile in Egypt. In the holy desert of the Pharaohs, my caravan was attacked. All in my family were killed except for me. And I had been run through, but when the sword was withdrawn, my body healed itself. Those that had attacked us were looking for no survivors, so I was able to escape. Along my way to Alexandria I tried every way I could imagine to do kill myself, I was so overcome with grief for the loss of my family. It was apparent that I could not die. When I finally reached the city, I had come to the decision that if I could not die, I would do everything in my power to live extremely well. And my pursuit of battle and power began there. I have lived and performed magic all over the world. As I do not age, I have had to move around the world to keep myself just hidden enough.”

Hermione knew her mouth was open, but she couldn’t seem to close it. 

“You are cloaking yourself now with some sort of magic, are you not,” she asked quietly. 

“I am,” Bellatrix confirmed. 

She waved her wand and the magic melted away. Bellatrix was even more beautiful than Hermione had seen before. She felt like the very embodiment of magic, which made Hermione want to reach out and touch her. She resisted, but only barely. 

“And you,” Hermione said, turning to Nacissa. 

“I am younger than Bella,” the blonde said looking relaxed and leaning towards the brunette. “I was born in Murcia during the reign of the Anglo-Saxons. When my family was called upon to fight, my father and brother left to face the Vikings. But the king was wrong about where the Vikingers were and in the middle of the night they attacked my family’s farm. I took up the final sword in our home and set out to defend my mother and younger siblings.”

Hermione watched the blonde take a deep breath. 

“I failed them that day, but my endurance and abilities were recognised. I was adopted by the invaders as I already looked so much like them. I fought for centuries to forget what that day felt like, until I met Bellatrix on the field of battle when the American colonies revolted. I saw her, could see what she was much like you did today. I have not left her side since in any human lifetime.” 

Hermione watched the silent exchange between the two women. She couldn’t imagine what it would be like to be close to someone for more than 200 hundred years, never mind being nearly 2,000 years old. 

“You aren’t vampires?”

Bellatrix cackled. 

“Not a bad guess, girl. But no we are not. We take blood, but we do not consume it. We were born to be warriors. We were the best of our age. The smartest, the most skilled, and as we learned the most long lived,” she answered through her laughter.

“And you aren’t sisters?” 

“We are in this lifetime, at least in how we function in society. But we have no blood in common aside from the blood that we have spilled,” Narcissa. 

Her words might have been harsh, but the look she gave Bellatrix was nothing but tender. 

“Why are you fighting on his side?”

Hermione really hadn’t meant to ask that question, but if they couldn’t be killed it was baffling that they would choose the side they had. 

Bellatrix sat back and looked at Hermione with a calm unrevealing look. 

“Do you think it is beyond her comprehension?” 

Narcissa’s question was quiet and obviously meant only for the dark witch’s ears. 

“We have seen more war that I think you can possibly imagine, young one. This skirmish can barely be counted as a war as of yet. And the one thing I know for certain is that no one is innocent in war. No leader of an army formal or informal is innocent. There are reasons we have chosen what we have. Someday you may learn them all, but for today suffice it to say that we are able to hide without question where we are. We are able to practice the ancient ways of magic without interference. We are able to harness a power that those you were working for fear.” 

“You will see, in time,” the blonde picked up, “that these wars rarely change much. And what side you are on matters little. Sometimes it is only about being in the right place at the right time.” 

Hermione considered the logic and wondered what they were hoping to be in the right place for. Not to mention there were a million other things she wanted to know about them. So many questions to ask that only they could possibly answer. 

“I still have so many questions,” she offered. 

She watched as the two witches relaxed fractionally. She wasn’t sure why they were concerned about her reaction, but she was happy that they were less uncomfortable with her. 

“As I said, if I tell it in full it is a very long story,” Bellatrix said, smirking. 

“We will answer all your questions, but after we properly bind you as a vassal. It will claim you to our house and protect you among the circles we live in. It will give you an entirely new identity,” Narcissa said. 

“I will do whatever I need to do to satisfy you,” Hermione said before blushing at the looks on the faces in front of her. “But then, I expect you to stay up all night with me and tell me everything.”

* * *

Hermione woke slowly. She couldn’t remember when she finally succumbed to sleep, but she was wedged comfortably between two sleeping bodies. Her head rested on the shoulder of the blonde and the brunette was wrapped around her from behind, holding her close. She sighed at the feeling of them and their magic. It was comforting and exhilarating all at once. She hadn’t gotten the whole story from the witches, but it was enough that she knew she wanted to hear the rest of it and hoped that she would have time.


End file.
